In the construction industry, especially involving the construction of buildings, concrete used in such constructions is transported via heavy duty hoses, The concrete is pumped from a source to a site where the concrete is discharged and spread. The viscous concrete may be moved vertically upwardly or downwardly several floors to the selected site.
Delivery hoses vary in size, from about three to six inches in diameter, but are extremely heavy when filled with viscous concrete. For example, a ten foot length or hose having a diameter of five inches weighs approximately two hundred pounds.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,175 discloses a mobile support for delivery hoses for concrete, but this support device has certain shortcomings. The hose support structure disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,175 ('175 Patent) is of U-shaped configuration having a curved bottom and substantially parallel sides. A keeper located at the upper surface of the U-shaped support in the '175 Patent retains the delivery hose against accidentally displacement from the support. However, the keeper in the '175 Patent does not engage the delivery hose and the hose is free to move within the support.
Concrete delivery hoses are subjected to pumping surges which causes them to react, sometimes violently, to such pumping surges. If the delivery hose is not tightly and securely clamped in a support, then the reaction effect of the hose to pumping surges is similar to a high pressure fire hose. The '175 Patent does not tightly clamp the hose to the support.